Culture in North Carolina

Economy

Ø  North Carolina leads the nation in the production of tobacco and is a major producer of textiles and furniture.

Ø  It grows 40% of all U.S. tobacco, but the continuing trend is toward diversification. Broilers, hogs, turkeys, greenhouse products, sweet potatoes, corn, soybeans, peanuts, and eggs are important.

Ø  Plentiful forests supply the thriving furniture and lumber industries.

Ø  The state has long been a major textile manufacturer, producing cotton, synthetic, and silk goods as well as various kinds of knit items.

Ø  Other leading manufactures are electrical machinery, computers, and chemicals; the Research Triangle complex near Chapel Hill has spurred high-tech manufacturing, as well as bringing federal jobs into the state.

Ø  The state also has mineral resources: It leads the nation in the production of feldspar, mica, and lithium materials and produces substantial quantities of olivine, crushed granite, talc, clays, and phosphate rock.

Ø  There are valuable coastal fisheries, with shrimp, menhaden, and crabs the principal catches.

Ø  Charlotte developed in the 1980s into a major U.S. banking center, and related businesses have flourished in the area.

Major highways

 North Carolina Highway System

The North Carolina Highway System consists of a vast network of Interstate highways, U.S. routes, and state routes. North Carolina has the largest state maintained highway network in the United States, with 77,400 miles (124,600 km) of roadway.Major highways include:

Interstate 26 Interstate 40 Interstate 73 Interstate 74 Interstate 77 Interstate 85 Interstate 95

U.S. Highway 1 U.S. Highway 13 U.S. Highway 15 U.S. Highway 17 U.S. Highway 19 U.S. Highway 52 U.S. Highway 64 U.S. Highway 70 U.S. Highway 74 U.S. Highway 501 U.S. Highway 421